Transmission apparatus



.FuEyIE, 1952 L. J. BARBARA ET AL TRANSMISSION APPARATUS Filed May 27. 1947 INVENTORS Lou/s J. BIIIPBAMA MAR 11/ M. KL E l/V BY BERN/MRO HOWARfl ATTORNEY Patented July 15, l952 TRANSMISSION APPARATUS I Louis J. Barbara, Woodside, MarvinM. Klein,

Jackson Heights, N. Y., and

North Arlington, 'N."J. I Application May 27,1947, Serial No. 50,146 I Thisinvention is an improvementin tra [mission;-apparatus, and especially gearing for turning, the reels for the wire of a magnetic recorder and reproducer at the proper speed to maintain uniform tension on the wirepunder constantly changing operatingconditions.

L An important objectof the inventioniis to pro-v vide gearing of simple and efficient design that magnetic wire which is drawnfrom one reel and taken up upon the other, with members for ,so controlling the reels that the peripheral or linear speed of ,the wire is always the same on both reels, to avoid excessive tension on the wire and damage thereto or breaking thereof. When the wireis-drawn from one reel to theother for the recording action, a relatively low speed is desirable. When, however, the wire-is rewound upon the first reel and moved in the reverse direction,

preparatory to reproducing the record, a higher. speed is convenient. This invention provides connections whereby the-reels can be turned in this way from aimotor, which is coupled to rotate the reelsin the manner set forth, but the reels are. engaged by a. common operating element which is automatically shifted to adjust the relative speeds of the two reels to regulate the tension in. thenmanner which our aforesaidrapplication fully sets forth. a

The drawings show a preferred form of the inventiombut of course variations in the structure shown may be adopted so far as is consistent with the meanings of theter ms in which the claim is expressed; and without deviating from the principle of the invention.

: In; the drawings,

Figure 1 shows a top plan of gearing according to this invention, for a. magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus; Y

Figure-2 shows a side view thereof; and Figure 3 is an end of same. a t

' The recording and reproducing apparatus abovereferred to comprisesa reel I and a reel Z," andthe wire that is'used for recording and reproducing is indicated at 3, partly wound on both reels and running from the one to the other over a controlling arrangement fully set forth in our aforesaid application but, not shown herein. The reel I is mounted on a shaft 4, and the reel 2 on a shaft 5, these two shafts being supported rema (c1. 242-,54li

Bernard Howard,

in bearings in a framework comprising a front plate 6 and a back plate 1, connectedby toms; one of which is shown at 8, and each surrounded by aspa'cingsleeve 9 to hold the front 'and'back ata fixed distance apart. The'reels 'are rotated by a motor unit I0, which is suspended from ,a

horizontal journal I I, mounted in the b'eariiigill on the bracket I3, secured to' the back I offthe frame One end'of this journal projectsifrom.

the bear-mg and pport's'a dependil e'arm I4, having a hub I5, which receives theiprojecting' end of the journal I] and is secured thereon by. a cotter pinpassing through the adjacent extremity of the journal II, for by other means This arm is affixed to the outer casing ,of the, motor by screws'IBl The motor can therefore be swungfrom side to side on the journal II as on.

a pivot.

The arm attached tothe hub I I4 extends down ward,. and the shaft I'IfQf the motor passes; through it and carries a friction wheel -I8. The latter engages and drives'a grooved disk'orfri'c tion gear l9 fixed to" one end "of a shaft 20' on the framework of the apparatus. This friction'gear I9 has a hub 2 I, and a rim 22 separated fromth'e hub by an annular groove, which is slightly wider than the diameter of the gear I8. I-Ience if the motor is swung to bring the gear I8 into engagement with the hub 20, the reels will be rotated faster, and this gear makes contact with the insideof {the rim H, the reels will be revolved mofeslowly. The shaft 20 is mounted in bear,-'

ings 23 on the inner face of the rear plate I.

In our applicationaforesaid, we have shown connection by which, when the motor drives the reel I onithe shaft" 4,: motion is transmitted.

through other connections to the shaft 5 of the reel 2,.th'ese connections being self adjusting so speed of the wire equal on both reels. 7 Saidcon nections include a disk 24 fixed on the shaft 4 of the reel I, and a similar disk 25 fixed on the shafti of. the reel 2; these reels overlappingeach other, On the shaft 20 is .anoperating element or frictlongear 26} which engages both disks; on their opposed faces, said gear being slidable along the shaft or driving member. 20, but keyed thereto, As theshaft 20 is rotated by the motor II), the friction gear 26 revolves bothrdisks 24 and 25; to unwind the, wire 3. from one reel to the other and as the wheel 26 is shifted in an axial direction, as set forth in our earlier application aforesaid, the relative speeds of the two disks and the two T reels is altered;

Our above-mentioned application describes means which is effective both when the wire is drawn from the reel I and transferred to the reel 2, and when it is rewound on the reel I,

for shifting the friction wheel 26 in the direction dangerous tensile stresses. Part of such means is indicated in Figures 1 and 3 in the form of an arm 21, one end'of which is pivotally secured at 28 to the inner face of the front plate 6.

which receives the rim of thewheel '26. The disk is placed 'just behind the front plate 6 and the other disk is behind the rear'plat'e 1', but this plate has a recess so that the Wheel 26, I

to make contact with the disk 24 can project through the plate 1. The end of the arm 21 opbosite the Pivot zs is' pini'ied to e link a which actuates'the arrniT-tdmove the "wheel 26' in to parts that are controlled by the wire 2- betweenthe two reels, and responsive to "instantaneous changes in tensiOnTtherBQI i, SQ that said parts The middle part of the arm 21 has ajslot 219 will move said link and automatically adjustthe 7 position of the friction wheel 26 to causethe disks 24tand' 2 5' and the reels l and 2 to revolve atfthespeeds' required. The parts in question can be manipulatecl and set to givethis act-ion. both when the wire travels from ther'eel I to' the reel 2', and when the reels are revolved to move t'hewire in the reverse direction; I I ]'The apparatus of our aforesaid application, however, shows the motor In connected to shaft: 4 of ,the reel I, .so that the disk on the shaft 4' acts through thefriction wheel to turnthe other diskbnth'dshaft 5 of thereel 2; and this friction whe el fa'sabov'e stated is always be= i'ng slowly'shifte'd to change the gear ratio of the twddisks 24 an'd'25'; Of course any type of reducti'ongearing, if needed, can vbe utilized withthe' motor m; but the latter is a' constant speed unit; therefore the speed of the shaft 9; as longasit is so connected to the motor will' alsobe constant. That is, while" the angular speedof the'reel 'l wi'll'n'o't change, the peripheral speed of the wire thereon of coursev'aries with the'thickness ordepth' of the layersof Wire'thfe; on. If the] reel l is filled withthe wire, the Speeder the wire leaving this reelwill' Jo re l'ative'ly great at first, and then; lower and lower as thejlayer of'wiref becomes thinn fr"; and con? 7 versely when theree'l'turnsthe other way to' drawback the mre upen m-ehd the layer becomesthicker. This condition makes the reguf lating operation of the wheel 26 somewhatldifii cult, because it can" only influence the disk antheshaft 5 of thei wheel 2.

" This objection iS' entirely. obviated by mount-f m the friction wheel ze eh the shaft 20' afid connecting the" latter shaft, instead of the shaft 4 direct' te; themotor m; The rotation of; this wheel 2B 'di1ect1yfrom the motor It! enables it tie-regulate both reels, and thus work to much better" advantage-for the purpos of keeping the-peripheral speeds of the wire 2 at all" times e ual onthe we reeis a'na' hbldifig th tension thereon within safe limits At the lower end the arm Miscohnected by a pin 32 to a linkpin 33 running 'to enadjust ing arm 34, which .is' pivotedxat 35 on a plate 35 secured to a-bracket 37 onthe: outer, face ofthe rim'2l of the grooved wheel I9.

At the opposite end is an extension 40, which engages a rack M. This rack has three recesses in its edge, and when the projection All engages the" middle recess, the gear [8 is held in neutral position out of contact with either the hub 22 or When the knob 39. is pulled to throw the arm 34 so that the projection 40 slips into either one of the side recesses, the motor is swung by the arm l4 so thatithe wheel I 8 on the shaft thereof engages either the hub 22 of the wheel l9 or the rim 2! of the latter. Hence when recording is being accomplished, the motor'can be made to drive the reels through the rim 2| of the wheel l9 at the relatively low speed re'quired by this operation. After the recording is'fi nished and the wire is to be retracted and-wound back on the reel r, to be drawn on again and rewoi hd upon" the reel 2' forreproducing, the rewinding or the wire from the reerz onythereel I can be" done much more quickly because the motor-is then swung to make the wheel (8 engage the'hub 22 of the wheel I9", and the apparatus-isput in position for repordireihg in a much shorter time. r r 1 -This mechanical design" is wellcalculated to serve all the purposes of our invention. It -is' of simple construction and very certain and safe in operation, giving the required change of speed without any additional gear elements. The same motor and gear [8 is used for both speeds, and; to accomplish this the engagement of thegear wheels is to [9 is merely adjusted as above described; r

Having described our invention, what we" be lieve to be new is: r

Transmission a paratus comprising a pair or reels", a disk" rigid with each reel, a rotatable shaft between said disks, a friction wheel keyedon the: shaft but mounted to slide along same, the disks overlapping and said wheel" engaging the opposed faces thereof, connections" for ad dusting said wheel along the shaft and means for revolvingthe shaft-,said connections 60m:

- prising a lever between said" disks and having a fixed-pivot at one end and movable at the opposite end, said lever having a longitudinalslot between it's ends receiving the wheel, so that the wheel is shifted by the movement ofth lever,- said means comprising a; frictiongear-'on'sai'd shaft, said gear having acircular groove in one face, a'- motor having a shaft with a' friction wheelthereon, and a shiftablearm carrying the motor to cause said wheel to enga'ge either side of said groove;

5 Number 771,861 Curtis s Oct. 11, 19 04 1,346,357 Wenderhold- July 13, 1920 1,414,941 Gill May 2, 1922. 1,981,370" Mowat Nov; 20; 934 2 ;so4',971 Tuttlef er 1. Dec. 15, 1942 2,322,014 7 O the plate 6, and carrying atne'end a k-nob '39. 7

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